If your iPhone is showing “SOS only” instead of your normal signal bars, you’re not alone. Many phone users are dealing with this frustrating issue after recent network problems hit major carriers.

Both Verizon and T-Mobile experienced significant service disruptions recently, leaving countless customers without regular phone service. According to PhoneArena, while both carriers say their networks are fully restored, some iPhones are still stuck in emergency-only mode and haven’t automatically reconnected.

When your iPhone loses its connection to your carrier’s network, it switches to SOS mode as a safety feature. This means you can still make emergency calls through other networks, but you can’t use your phone normally for calls, texts, or data.

The good news? There are some simple tricks you can try to get your phone back to normal. The easiest fix is turning on Airplane Mode for about 15 seconds, then turning it back off. You can do this by swiping down from the top of your screen to open the control panel and tapping the airplane icon. Don’t worry when your WiFi shuts off too – that’s supposed to happen.

If that doesn’t work, try restarting your iPhone by holding down the power button and one of the volume buttons until you see the restart option.

For older iPhones that use physical SIM cards instead of the newer built-in eSIM technology, you might want to check your SIM card. Power off your phone first, then carefully remove the SIM card using the small tool that came with your phone (or a straightened paperclip). Look for any visible damage before putting it back.

If none of these steps work, it’s time to contact your carrier. In most cases, there may still be lingering network issues in your area that only your carrier can resolve.

Source: PhoneArena